Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll

Coue's Arctic Redpoll

Lapland Bunting

Sanderling

Purple Sandpiper

Short-eared Owl

Waxwing

Friday, 14 January 2011

Purple Patch at Lowestoft

Last weekend I spent a rather disappointing morning at Minsmere, everything was very distant or against the light, I met up with Essex based wildlife photographer Dave Martin, who was having an equally bad day, he was asking if there was anything else around, all I could think of was the Iceland Gull at Lowestoft, then I thought Purple Sandpipers too, as they were very obliging last time I visited, but the light was horrendous.
So off we went to Englands most easterly point, Ness Point at Lowestoft, on arrival, there were a few birders there but no sign of the Iceland Gull, it had been seen briefly ten minutes before we got there, and was seen to head off towards Hamilton dock, so I decided to go and look for the Purple Sandpipers, I lifted my binoculars to a familiar looking bird on the sea, no sooner had I focused on the bird it was up and away, the unmistakable white wing tips, heading straight towards us, the Iceland Gull, it then landed on the roof of the Birds Eye factory and had a couple of short flights over the factory, always returning to the same place, however after the third flight it disappeared out of sight.

So our next target birds were the Purple Sandpipers the afternoon sun was perfect, the light on the rocks was fabulous all we needed now were the birds themselves, and they didn't disappoint, coming as close as fifteen feet at times, I had to move back to keep them in focus, in and out of the shadows, dodging waves and splashes, climbing the rocks like mini-mountaineers , and slipping down them too at times.
All in all a wonderful time was spent with these Beautiful little waders and some fantastic images to boot!